


Not What I Seem

by TheBardWhoLives



Series: Through Their Eyes [1]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:01:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25008127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBardWhoLives/pseuds/TheBardWhoLives
Summary: Heavy Spoilers for Gravity Falls, takes place between the Ending of Weirdmageddon and Before the Epilogue Scene.Stan Pines is a great uncle, a twin, a business man, and a hero. At least that is what everyone is telling him. He can't remember anything or anyone really. But he's willing take the steps to find out who he is, and who he was as well if some of the rougher things he recalls have anything to say.
Series: Through Their Eyes [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1936921
Comments: 5
Kudos: 41





	1. The Best Part Of Waking Up

**Author's Note:**

> My first attempt at a longer form story. I hope it captures something close to a pale reflection of the great writing by Alex Hirsch and Co. Please leave a kudos if you get some enjoyment, and a comment if you have a suggestion or a correction. I appreciate everyone in the Fandom.

He opened his eyes and looked up at the busted ceiling in the room, he had not slept well. Hard to narrow down the reasoning, whether it was from the fact his bed was a broken mattress on the floor, the random body aches, or the craziest nightmares he had when he shut his eyes. Either way he had to get up and get started, the round one had assured him, ' _Soos'_ a quiet part in his head reminded him, Soos had said they were going to be working on fixing up the place they called The Mystery Shack.

He twisted and sat up, feeling around with his feet for the slippers he had an echo in his mind that told him should be there. However he just felt broken floorboards and... paper. He leaned to look between his knees when something in his back disagreed and now his knees started to join in, and before he could completely prepare himself he had a full scale riot of body aches. He tried to quiet them down with a groan, but he seemed to only add fuel to the fire. A few minutes later he found himself able to grab the paper and squint at it, only to remember the glasses he had to wear. Even with he was pretty blind due to cataracts. He fumbled around until he slid the square frames and saw the brilliant colors of the sweet girl with the metal mouth, Mabel his great niece, had left for him.

_"Sorry Grunkle Stan, we tried to find your favorite slippers in the mess but they are gone. But I told Ford and he got Soos to come take me and Dipper in Town to buy some yarn and stuff so I can make you some new ones, hopefully we are back before you get up, but if not I am totally sorry and will apologize a million billion trillion puppy-illion times and give you a hundred hundred hundred love-tillion-illion-skillion hugs to make up for it, with all of the love I can give and more - Mabel (Your favorite)"_

He got a pretty good laugh out of it, and he knew she probably meant every word. He closed his eyes and focused on his memories of her. It was like he was making a raft of everything he could remember inside of a sea of blue fire. It never burned him but with each memory he fished out of the depths, he really liked fishing, it seemed to get less intense and bright. Though not everything he drug up from the deep was good and he was worried about what it said about him.

He walked over to the cracked mirror on his dresser and looked at himself. It was a little less of a shock for him to see the face looking back at him. So square and wrinkled more than a dollar bill after changing hands for years. He poked and prodded his features, still in awe at the size of his ears. He took a breath and looked over his arms and chest, trying to make out any marks that stood out to him. He had lived life hard it seemed, and the flashes of memory did not paint a pretty picture. He lifted his undershirt and his large gut flopped out. He poked at it with a smirk before making it fold over so it looked like a mouth.

"Mr. Tummy... what kind of person am I?"

"I'm not sure Mr. Stan, but I sure could go for something to eat if you..."

Stan let go of his gut and turned to see a slightly oblong pale scar on his left side, he thought might have been from some kind of appendectomy, but he turned more to look in the mirror and saw a larger mark on the other side that dented in his weathered skin. He heard a loud bang and suddenly found himself standing in a lush green forest, not like the woods outside, a jungle. It was suffocating how hot and humid it was, his tropical shirt clung to him as he stood on the side of the makeshift runway. He looked across seeing the smoke rising from the barrel of the pistol pointed at him, the pain had not registered but the knowledge to duck down took over as he heard screaming. He pulled down someone next to him and they shuffled towards a stack of tires.

"Usted Maldito idiota!" Came a remark from the Policía in the distance, not directed towards them it seemed.

"Yo 8-Ball, you get hit?" The guy he was next to asked and he finally could feel the pain searing through his body.

"Yeah, the asshole just clipped me. I should be good to run though. You take off that way first, Jorge, and I will go this way. Meet up at the safe house." He told him in his usual unflinching lying voice as he got ready to make a break for it.

"I see you later man, ain't no one gonna catch Jo-..." He had started running as he spoke and only got twenty feet before Stan looked away when he started his own break for it. He didn't need to see the man to know; as gunfire ripped through the air, what he was going to end up looking like. Stan bolted through the trees as he tried to find a spot to duck down and hope that the goons after him didn't have the dogs. He found a tree hollow and squeezed his broad shoulders into it as he heard footsteps running his way. He cocked his head to the side and only made out one pair. He slipped on his lucky brass knuckles and waited as he felt hot liquid running down his side. The pain was dulling his senses but he held on tight and when the steps were right next to him and he turned to grab the green shirt of the officer and raised his fist.

"Whoa Mister Pines, stop it's me!" A younger girl looked up at him as he had her pinned to the wall with one hand on her plaid top and the other reared back ready to break her face. Her red hair and freckles stood out on her pale skin even more so as she looked terrified. He dropped his hand and let go of her as he rubbed his face.

"Wendy... what what happened?" He asked her, still feeling the intense heat and pain in his side. He touched it and expected his palm to come away with red. But it was clean. He was in the room once again.

"I... I came to help clean up and I ran into your brother, he asked me to come see if you were awake... I tripped on the door frame after running my boot into it and all of the sudden you grabbed me." She answered as quickly as she could seeing his confusion in his eyes. "Rough night?"

He nodded slowly and rubbed the bridge of his nose before shuffling out into the hallway and towards the kitchen where he heard sizzling coming from, along with a pretty good smell. He stepped in and saw a near identical version of his face looking back at him, halfway through pulling off a tattered apron. Ford, his brother, he was someone he had a lot of trouble remembering about.

"I heard a racket, I was worried you might have fallen Stanley. Everything alright?" The man sounded frightened and worried as he brushed a oven mitt against the burner of a little camp stove and set it alight. He let out a yell and shook it off and onto the floor where he stomped on it until the flame was smothered. "Damn thing... I apologize, I know you don't like swears being used around the Shack."

"Yeah, everything is... I don't know." He admitted, everything was so... unnatural to him. He spotted the pig Waddles looking up at him and he obliged the fat jerk with a pat on his head.

"Well I was hoping a home cooked meal might do you some good. The stove is not beyond repair but beyond current repair. Thankfully I had some camping supplies for my longer excursions stashed down in the lab. So, how does some probably safe to eat Shi-... Stuff of Shingles and coffee sound, I think I recalled our mother's recipe, lacking the occasional cigarette ash mixed in of course. But the burnt toast might make up for it." Ford set a chipped plate down on the old fold up table that was serving as the counter. He sat down and took a bite as warm memories of a kitchen with a radio playing as the hum of the neon sign outside buzzed against the window. He looked up and smiled at the younger man across from him before the memory melted back into the reality.

"This is amazing, I love it. Thank you." He said with all honesty and the smile that broke on Ford's face felt good to see. "This is honestly the best part of waking up." He laughed before he looked back and saw Wendy in the hall glancing at him with uncertainty as she rubbed her neck where her collar had dug into her when he grabbed her. He turned to face Ford before clearing his throat. "I have a question, and I want you to tell me the truth. I am not what I seem to be... I remembered doing something pretty... messed up years ago. Am I a bad guy?"


	2. Our Hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still recovering from the effects of the memory gun, Stan loses a little and gains a little. But with a bit of help he finds himself picking up more pieces he thought lost.

The look on Ford's face did not give him much hope. He put his hands behind his back and straightened up, a trait he knew stemmed from wanting to hide his abnormal number of fingers, but also to steady himself so he didn't stumble over a prepared speech. Which made things worse as it seemed Ford had been getting ready to answer this question as if it was an inevitability.

"Stanley, your past is multifaceted and I do not know the extent of what happened to you in the years between your... departure and when we met up again, nor in the years after that until my return. But from what I have seen and experienced with my own two eyes. You are a good person Stanley. Rough around the edges for certain. I mean you are also a bit of a liar and cheat, and your get rich quick schemes have certainly upend-"

Wendy was there to stop Ford from digging any deeper as she slapped a hand over the older man's mouth. "Dude you are like one of the best people I know. I mean your family loves you to death, and Soos thinks of you like his own father..."

"Which is honestly a little weird, but so does everything here..." He interjected, not meaning to but he had trouble controlling himself when it came to speaking his mind.

"Well... you got me there but Mr. Pines, you helped give me a home away from home, and also a lot of others. You also totally kicked Bill Cipher's butt!" She exclaimed excitedly but Ford was wrenching her hand off his face desperately trying to stop her.

But it was a bit too late. He felt the raft in his mind start to tremble as if a storm was coming and before he knew it broke apart and pieces began to sink all over again. He tried to cling onto whatever was in reach but as he opened his eyes he looked around the unfamiliar kitchen and looked at the two people who were almost wrestling.

"What the hell is going on here?" He said and was shocked at the sound of his own voice. He sounded like an old miser. He cleared his throat and looked down at the food on the table. He reached down and picked at it, letting out a soft sigh. "Oh this is good. I think this is the best meal I have ever had. Is this some kind of restaurant?"

He noticed an exchange of looks between the girl in green and the old man in a red turtleneck. "Um Mr. Pines?" The girl said uncertain as the old guy sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He noticed he had six fingers and wondered why that felt familiar. He continued to eat and drink as the pair left the room and spoke in hushed tones down a hallway. He wondered if she was a waitress and had done something wrong. He continued to look around the place. It was a bit of a mess, but maybe that was the whole theme. She was clearly dressed like a lumberjack, and not like the ones at some of the roadside places which had cheap greasy food that was all but ignored as the girl walked around with large...

"Stanley?" The old guy spoke behind him, and he looked around and pointed at himself. "Yes your name is Stanley Pines... you've had a bit of... it was my fault. I am sorry." His voice was thick with emotions and he knew that he might cry. But as he turned his head he caught a glimpse of his reflection in his glasses and he felt something forming in his head again, though a little looser than before.

"Ford, don't get all teary eyed... you apologized before. You and the kids... whoa head rush... umm do you know where that scrap book of Maple... Mabel's is? I think I want to look at it again before we... We get started." He said, holding onto things as best as he could by hand but he wanted something to lash the memories together so they didn't fall apart.

Before Ford could move Wanda, _No it is_ _Wendy_ , ran up the stairs and was back with a gaudy pink and purple book. He flipped through the pages, looking at the extensive pictures of everything until he finds a photo of the two kids and him in a fancy house wrecking some expensive china plates, he had a huge smile on his face and a hand knit sash across his chest with the words 'Our Hero' on it. He closed his eyes and smiled as he held onto that memory. He loved his family, and he just needed to think of them if he felt unsteady. The others were looking at him with trepidation as if he was going to blow up. "Thank you Wendy... and you too Ford. Oh... hahaha... want to hear a joke?" He didn't give them any time before he launched right into it. "My ex-wife still misses me... BUT HER AIM IS GETTING BETTER!" Silence, followed by a groan and a snort of laughter from Wendy as Ford was still clearly processing the punchline.

"I didn't know you were married Stanley, that is good. What was... Oh... Oh I get it." Ford turned to Wendy and let out a chortle. "Because she is attempting to murder him. That is quite humorous."

He looked at his brother and sighed. "You know, the you really suck the fun out of a joke, Sixer."


	3. How Far We've Come

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Starting to feel a little more sure of who he is now, Stan again prods at his memories for who he had been.

He finished his meal and got up to go to the back room he claimed as an office, however he pulled in Wendy to reassure her of things. "I am sorry about me flipping out in my room, and then for that scare in the kitchen. I want you to know that I am um... putting pieces back together. So I hope I don't act like a jerk too often. But don't think I am going soft either. I want this place back in good condition before Dipper and Mabel leave." He pointed a finger at her as she leaned against the door with all the cavalier that a teenager could muster.

"Mr. Pines, you don't have to explain it. My granddad went through something similar, though I guess yours is more in reverse. Right? You aren't forgetting more things are you?" The impossible coolness that had hooked his nephew's small sweaty heart could not hide the slight concern in her tone and eyes. Stan wanted to hug her and tell her not to worry but he did not know. No one knew the exact side effects of the memory gun, well the one who made it could have had a better idea but his brain was still mostly fried from using it too much, and that had mostly just been singular events over and over. The total erasure of a person's mind was dark territory. At least that is what he got from Ford's expressions and explanations.

"Listen kid, I punched a flying terro-whatzit. I am not going anywhere any time soon. You rascals are stuck with me." He then sent her on her way as he looked around the more intact room, though filing cabinets and boxes were overturned. He had opted to go through everything on his own, just in case he had a bad reaction. He pulled at a desk drawer only to find it locked with the key possibly lost to any number of things. He busted out a couple paperclips and with a little more difficulty than he had anticipated he got it picked. He opened up the drawer and smiled as the first thing he spotted was one of the issues of _Lil' Stanley_ he had apparently been working on. He flipped through the pages looking over his work until he heard a whistle blowing and he looked up from the pages spread out on the asphalt playground of the Glass Shard School House back in New Jersey. He gathered up and stuffed the pages into his pocket as he ran back towards the building, keeping an eye out for his brother. He spotted him closing up his book in the shade of the basketball goal to go inside. However Crampelter and his cronies came up from behind and knocked the book out of Ford's hands.

"What's the matter freak, doesn't that extra finger help hold onto things? Or are all eleven of them butter fingers?" Crampelter said mockingly.

"Wait wouldn't it be twelve? He has one on each hand." The thin weaselly one mused before getting shoved slightly for his stupidity. Ford seemed to be trying to pick up his book unseen and slip away but he was not forgotten about as the short red headed one extended his foot to trip him onto the ground, knocking his glasses off and scraping his chin. Stan saw his brother fighting tears as they laughed. This ticked him off real bad as he ran up and pointed the pencil he had been drawing with at the jerks.

"You butt heads better leave him alone before I beat the crap out of you." He knew he wasn't supposed to swear, but they got his blood boiling. Even Stanford was shocked at how his brother was acting. But Crampelter grinned cruelly before calling out to the teacher.

"Mrs. Carlin! Stanley is using bad language and threatening us!" Hearing this the teacher was there in a flash and grabbed Stanley by the ear, lifting him up onto his toes.

"What do you have to say for yourself Mr. Pines?" The woman's thick Jersey accent crowed.

"These chickenshit punks were picking on my brother, and then were too pussyfoot to fight me so they called for you, you old cow!" He yelled, hating his ears getting pulled.

"My goodness, where are you picking up this kind of talk! I am going to wash your mouth out with soap right now!" She screamed before seeing the paper sticking out of his back pocket. He tried to stop her but she pulled out the incomplete comic and was aghast at all of the swearing he had written down. "Your parents are going to get a call about this, and after I am done tanning your hide I am certain your father will too!"

"Don't leave them with my brother! Please!" He cried but it fell on deaf ears as he was taken to the office to get a bar of soap put in his mouth as she got 'Old Faithful' off the wall to paddle him with, stories said that it was given to the school as a gift from the family of President George Washington who had apparently used it quite frequently on uncouth youths in his time.

Stan put the comic up on the desk as he sighed sadly, remembering how in all the trouble he had gotten into, Ford had been forgotten about and came home with a black eye and the word "Freak" written on his forehead with one of Ford's red pens. Stanley got the blame for that too, which he accepted as he had failed to keep his brother safe.

Looking through the drawer some more he found some old movie tickets, lottery tickets, and parking tickets along with a couple of moldy Sham TotalTM's that he chucked into the trash can, not really wanting to hold onto them any longer. Under that was a clipped newspaper headline " **STAN PINES DEAD** ". He dropped it and watched it fall until it hit the cold blue tile floor of the morgue next to a blackened toe.

"Oh geez, I am real sorry about that Mr Pines... when we got him out of the wreck, it was... well we got most of him." The nervous morgue attendant at the Multnomah County Coroner's Office apologized profusely. He looked at the charred and blackened remains, feeling a little sorry for the poor funeral home director who had to tell the family that their son's body was missing. "I don't even know why they had you come here to identify. I guess since you are the only family nearby. Had you had any contact with him recently?"

"He uh... I reached out to him to invite him to come see me. It had been about ten years since we saw each other. I had wanted to mend fences but... He was so damn stubborn and stupid..." He broke down a little and put his hand over his eyes. "I just wanted things to be like when we were kids ya know? It is my fault... I pushed him... and now he is lost." He was surprised by the pat on his shoulder and looked over at the new figure looking solemnly at him.

"We were thinking we have an idea of who might of done this. I am Agent Jeffrey Trigger, senior now. I just had a son." The man held up his wallet with a Polaroid of a tiny baby with a single lock of blond hair. Cute kid but a little weird to show him, until he saw the badge that was there next to the picture that made a chill run up his spine; FBI.

"He looks just like you. But what do you mean you have an idea of who did this?" His eyes flicking around as he tried to plot an escape, nervous sweat starting to bead on his forehead despite the chilled room. "I mean wasn't it an accident?"

"I am afraid it wasn't. Between the brake lines being cut, the strange location of the crash, and the fact it was not his personal vehicle raises a lot of questions. I saw you were driving his car, am I correct? With the vanity plate 'STNLYMBL'."

"Yeah... he left it at my shack in Gravity Falls. After our fight he ran off into the woods. I don't know what you are implying..." He said with the tone of knowing exactly what he was implying.

"We think your brother was murdered, Mr. Pines, and I intend to bring that killer to justice." Agent Trigger said with great force. "Your brother was not a good man by any means, but no one deserves to die so horribly. He did die excruciatingly right?" He asked the morgue attendant who gave non-committal shrug and hand motion. "But the man who killed your brother is..." Stan started to bring his hands forward for the cuffs when Trigger continued. "Rico Tipo-Malo."

"Huh?" He let out in shock, wondering what Rico had to do with his death, well his faked death. He had been on the run from him after another failed operation that had cost the life of Jorge, but he did not know how much the Feds had been watching him after he got back to the States.

"Rico was an associate of your brother during some time down in Columbia. They were involved in an extensive Pug smuggling operation. However, inside the dogs were balloons of narcotics." He took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and looked at the morgue attendant. "Can I smoke in here?"

"Of course you can, it's the 1980's, Reagan's the president." The attendant said cheerily.

"God Bless America." Trigger said before lighting up. "Anyways, where were we?"

"Dead brother, Rico, Drug Pugs." He reiterated for the agent.

"Yes of course. There was a bust on a shipment about to leave Columbia and your brother escaped with some cash back to the United States. Rico apparently was sending thugs to get that money back. And when he didn't pay, he tracked him down and got rid of him. So we are setting up a task force and with your cooperation we might be able to put him away for good. What do you say, Stanford Pines, will you help us hunt down your brother's killer?" Trigger asked as he put a hand on his shoulder.

"No I don't want to get anywhere near him, he'll kill me." He caught himself. "I mean, if I look exactly like my brother, what do you think his reaction would be. It is better if I lay low and just... focus on my work. I don't want to risk anything. My parents already lost one son." He said closing his eyes and he wish it had been Stanford who was here. He'd be less of a disappointment at any rate. Maybe he'd even rescue him from wherever that damn portal took him. He looked at the body bag and sighed. "I need to go home, call my parents and tell them what happened."

"Oh... of course. I once again am sorry for your loss Mr. Pines. But rest assured, his killer will be found." Trigger said as Stan left the cold room. He walked down the hall until he found the exit and headed towards his car. He got in and closed the door but the sound was distant and sounded like it was...

"Grunkle Stan!" A high pitched voice squealed as Mabel ran inside the Shack, calling out for him. He put the newspaper clipping back into the desk and got up with a groan which alerted the hyperactive girl. She barged into his office and leaped over the desk and into a flying hug. "I missed you, did you miss me? I know you missed me. Who wouldn't, right?" She laughed with the freedom of someone who was thrilled over every breath they took, no matter how choking it was.

"Yeah I missed you sweetheart. So did you get the stuff for my new slippers? I am getting splinters in my feet! DIPPER! GET THE TWEEZERS!" He called out but instead of hearing the exasperated sigh of the preteen he heard him hurry up and come back with some needle nose pliers.

"These are the best I could find, what are you needing plucking, some nose hair or ear hair?" The dorky twelve year old grinned slightly.

"What are you trying to say eh, wiseguy? Just you wait, going to be growing bushes out of your ears." He laughed as the kid came up and gave him a hug. He remembered all of the other hugs they had shared over the summer and before he knew it the kid had gone for the choke hold. Once the warm greetings were over, they got started on fixing the Shack back to its only slightly dilapidated condition, taking breaks along the way as he found things that jogged his memory.

They day wore on and as dusk started to fall Stan sat on the couch on the front porch and sighed as the kids and Soos were doing donuts in the repaired golf cart, leaning precariously close to tipping over before Soos shifted behind the wheel and it rocked back to four wheels. He was feeling pretty good about everything when a cold bottle bumped his cheek. He jolted slightly and looked to see Ford holding up a couple beers.

"I got the icebox working, perhaps even better than before. Figured we'd celebrate." Ford said as he sat down with an old man groan. "It is crazy how much more gravity the Earth has compared to a lot of the multiverse. Guess that's what kept me a bit fitter, but it is catching up."

"Oh shut it you big nerd. Just admit it, you are getting old. I've accepted that years ago." He looked back at the kids playing. "It's amazing isn't it?" He asked as he took a drink.

"It's a little dangerous to be honest, but I am assuming you have another meaning." Ford spoke with a smile in his voice.

"Yeah, how far we've come, a couple of kids from New Jersey. I am getting some more memories back, but our childhood is a lot of blanks."

"I was going to let you know, earlier as I cleaned up my study... well I found some old tins of Super 8 from that camera Dad got from the Pawn shop. I can't remember which tin was which, so I guess I need to watch them all, and then label. Feel up to helping me with that?" Ford asked as he looked at him. He was surprised but glad.

"Of course I do! It feels like a dream, but I think I tried to make a claymation picture like Harry Claymore, except I used Ma's mashed potatos." He laughed and his brother joined in. They agreed to make some popcorn and get them going. They offered the kids to join in, but as if sensing it was more important for the brother's to share this time together, opted to fix up the attic some more and promised to not be too noisy. He lost count of the number of family videos they watched. After falling asleep he woke up sometime after midnight with one of Mabel's blankets covering the both of them; he knew it was hers as he found a gummy koala stuck to it. He readjusted slightly before closing his eyes again and drifted off to deeper more restful sleep.


	4. Bad Dreams Can't Hurt You, Right?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the first day of work, Stan felt like he had earned a long night of rest, but something inside of him still seems to be off kilter, and perhaps some ghosts don't want to be forgotten.

He was out on the beach at the swing set. The sun was just starting to fall behind the water, magic hour lighting. He swung back and forth, the scabs on his knees from roughhousing and playing stretching with the motion. He was eleven years old. Things were peaceful. He looked to his left to see his brother who looked back at him. It was seven years before the science fair that caused them to break apart from one another. Ten years after that before he got the post card to his motel room from his brother which led to their fist fight and losing him for another thirty years. He feels sick with grief as he thinks of the family he lost to time and misfortune.

He's back in the morgue, except he's all alone with all of those shut freezers. He turns to walk out the door only to find a cold blank wall blocking his path. That is when he hears the breathing. He doesn't want to look back as all of the hairs on his neck stand up. He forces himself to and the doors to the freezers are all cracked open slightly. They push out slightly with each exhale and then nearly close with every inhale. He's frozen in place as the vapors inside start to leak out and cover the floor. The breathing gets louder and the doors push out further as liquid starts to drizzle out; formaldehyde. The stink is overwhelming as the breathing gets louder and louder and the doors open even farther, crimson starts to pour down the walls and fill up the room. He can feel it rise above his shoes and drench his socks. It is freezing cold as the breathing is deafening and he finds his voice at last.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" He cries out, screaming it over the sound.

All of the doors slam shut and it goes quiet. He opens his eyes and he feels safe at last. It is not until he hears the breathing behind him, and feels the soft breath on his neck that his body goes rigid. He tries to close his eyes to hide but they feel taped open as the shape starts to loom into his peripheral. It is Jorge, his eye patch is gone and the terrible empty socket is staring at him. He sees the blood clinging to his scruffy cheek around the ragged hole a bullet had tore through.

"You sent me to die, hombre." His voice is dry and brittle like dead grass. "You knew I would be shot and you sent me to die, murderer."

"I could have died too... it was a gamble. I had already been shot..." He tried to defend himself until Jorge's other eye came into view, it was a horrible yellow with a long slitted pupil.

Soon on the other side of him another face started to emerge. He saw the emaciated features of his mother, the last time he had seen her after the chemo treatments failed and her cancer just started to eat through her. Her eyes the same yellow with slits for pupils.

"You lied to me baby, you told me you had died. You looked into my face and told me you were your brother..."

"Ma... I didn't... I didn't want to. But I was scared of what would happen..."

A larger more stern face replaced Jorge's. His father, Filbrick looking aged and weak; his sunglasses replaced with large bifocals. Yellow eyes magnified behind them.

"You stole your brother's chance at a good life, and then you stole his life too. You are a parasite. When you were born I should have taken your cord and strangled you."

"I did good things too... I saved Gravity Falls."

He blinked and two faces were hovering just below his line of sight; the twins.

"You almost killed us... you let me believe that you didn't know anything. I raised the dead because of you. You always picked her over me... and she relished in it... she let me get taken over. You watched us fight on that stage... I could have taken the journal and bashed her head in before you ever tried to stop me."

Dipper's face distorted and rippled as his skin started to tear and something gold showed through.

"You let me think that Dipper would never leave my side... and when he did, I caused the end of the world... all because you couldn't be honest with me... and you nearly let HIM escape from Gravity Falls... all because you couldn't let go of a grudge... the circle was almost complete and you had to be a big baby..."

Mabel's eyes seemed to grow large and larger until they morphed together into one, a giant red eye as the room burst into blue flame.

"YOU REALLY SCREWED UP **STANLEY**... I NEARLY WON ALL BECAUSE OF **YOU**... BUT DON'T THINK IT IS **OVER**... DON'T THINK IT IS OVER FOR EVEN A **SECOND**. I WILL BE BACK FOR **YOU**!"

The high pitched voice reverberated in his skull until it felt like it was cracking open. He tried to shout away the pain but his face was deformed as he saw in the reflection of the eye. He had no mouth and he must scream.

He opened his eyes as daylight broke through the windows. He looked around as he was alone and soon the dream was already fading. He could not remember what it was, but it felt awful. His body ached and he chalked it up to sleeping in the chair. It couldn't have been the dream, could it?

"Bad dreams can't hurt you, right?" He asked himself.

"I am sorry Stanley, did you say something?" Ford asked from the kitchen before there was a bang and the smoke alarm went off. "Good news, the stove is fixed!" His brother said happily. "Bad news... well more good news we are going to Greasy's for breakfast!" This elicited a cheer of excitement from the kids.

"I'll go get pants on I guess." He said and got up to shuffle off and get dressed so they could head into town.


	5. On The House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The family, after an unfortunate but exciting development in their kitchen, decide to go to the Diner for something to eat that would be only slightly more edible. However things are not entirely back to normal after the events that had unfolded at Weirdmageddon.

"Why would you even hook up hydrogen to the oven, Grunkle Ford?" Dipper asked as he leaned forward between the front seats, Stan elbowed him to sit his butt down in the back seat, not wanting to have to brake suddenly and send the kid flying.

"Well Dipper in my travels of the multiverse, Hydrogen is the most common element everyone out there is using. It is clean, it makes up two thirds of water, and it..." Ford started to lecture as if he was a teacher which almost made Stan fall asleep at the wheel before he interjected.

"Blows up my stove." He looked pointedly at his brother and nudged Dipper again more forcefully. "Sit back down before we have to BRAKE!" He screamed as he put his foot down on the brake pedal hard enough to touch the floor, trying to avoid running into the back of Manly Dan's log truck, and his nephew flew into the dashboard at a slight speed. He seemed to be mostly okay, and there was a positive outcome as his radio suddenly came back to life after so long being broken. Seems the kid's big head was useful in more ways than just thinking.

 _"We interrupt this broadcast with a conveniently timed news bulletin."_ The generic copyright free news soundtrack blared through the tinny speakers of the car. _"This is Shandra Jimenez coming at you live with a urgent update. After the event that some people are calling Biz-Armageddon, with the contention that Weirdmageddon sounds kind of dumb. There seems to be signs that the event might truly not be ov-"_

"Boring, I wonder if I can still get the oldies station, make you kids listen to real music!" He turned the channel as both Ford and Dipper protested while Mabel shouted in excitement from the backseat.

"I can't wait, I always wanted to sweat to the oldies!"

"Stanley that could have been important information, also Biz-Armageddon? Weirdmageddon is cooler, right kids?"

"Grunkle Stan, Ford is right, about the information not sure about the name still. We need to hear what she has to say."

In the tussle over the radio dial it gave an electronic cough and died.

"OH great, now I don't have my music... why don't you carry around pocket radios or whatever if you want to hear stupid news stuff?" He asked the two geniuses who fell silent at the blind-spot they never seemed to have considered. The rest of the drive was in moody silence punctuated by Mabel trying to sing what she believed were the jukebox hits of her Grunkle's time period.

"Imma do the dinosaur, I am really old and I smell kinda funny, I don't know what rhymes with dinosaur!"

He thought it might have been on there, he couldn't recall really. Maybe they could find a record at the resale shop and pick it up to see if it jogged his memory. He turned sharply into the parking lot, taking up a handicap space and putting up his homemade tag. 'I need to park here because Dr. Medicine says so'. Worked every time.

Once inside and seated in a booth they waited until Lazy Susan showed up to take their orders. "Oh Stanford Pines, aren't you so sweet bringing your niece and nephew here again. And nice to meet you too... Stanford..." She looked back and forth between the two brothers so fast she made herself dizzy and fell over.

"Oh right... you... you haven't been out here like this..." He looked at his brother who was starting to fume slightly. "Look Ford, I mean..." He then stood up on bench and table. "Hey it is us, the Pines family. We saved the town remember?" He gently kicked Dipper to smile and wave, Mabel needed no encouragement.

"WAIT, HOW IS THERE TWO OF YOU, IS ONE OF YOU THAT LITTLE TWERP TRIANGLE?" Manly Dan roared in confusion and fear.

"No no, I am the real Stanford Pines, the one you know as Stanford is my brother Stanley... he's been holding my spot so to speak." Ford tried to explain. He held up his six fingered hands. "I am sure some of you remember a little over thirty years ago when I came and had the Shack built, I am a scientist."

Deputy Durland raised his hand. "Wait you both are named Stan? Did your Pa hate you as much as mine hated me?"

The brothers shared a glance and gave a halfhearted maybe shrug.

"Hey Grunkle Ford, Grunkle Stan, think we should help Lazy Susan?" Dipper asked as he gently shook the older woman to try and wake her from her catatonia. Ford took a bottle and opened it under her nose which got her awake but screaming. He looked at the label on the bottle and then unfolded where it had rolled up on itself.

"Oh... essence of Gremloblin... thought it was my wake-up juice. Kept me from falling asleep until I got the plate in my head." He chuckled before looking around as she kept screaming in horror. "She'll be okay in... let me punch the numbers."

"YOU NEED SOMETHING PUNCHED?" Manly Dan called over.

Stan looked at the scene and sighed, feeling like he was starving and going crazy. After everything got cleaned up and Susan finally came down off of whatever Ford had gave her. He took a walk with the kids to the resale shop to see if they had any records he could gather up for nostalgia's sake. Dipper became interested in the various odd books he found while Mabel was trying out some old clothes for the most gaudy of fashion to wear at their upcoming birthday party. Ford was scavenging for spare parts for his computer in the lab. All the while he was stuck trying to explain what a record was.

"It is not a see-dee, it is a vinyl circle, about this big!" He gestured forcefully.

"Yeah I don't think we have that." The young lady said, not looking up from her cellphone, he thought it might of been one of Wendy's friends but all young people looked the same to him.

"Can you at least go look!" He was not holding his temper well as he didn't understand why they wouldn't have records here, people always tried to get rid of their junk.

"Yeah sure... after my break." She responded and flipped a sign that said 'Be Back Soon', but didn't move anywhere. He felt his eye twitch as he stomped off to go dig through the aisles himself instead of getting someone to do the hard part for him.

He thought he saw a sleeve with his favorite 50's rock & roll icon but it was snatched away by a large hand. "Oooh, been a while since I got to hear this little ditty." Bud Gleeful chuckled. "Aren't I just the luckiest son of gun in town?"

"Give me that record Bud! I need it!" He was not having any more nonsense today. He had his fill.

"Oh Standford... or is it Stanley? I dare say you Pines are a confusing lot. Speaking of lots... seems your boy and the Corduroy girl tried to lift one of my vehicles during the Biz-Armageddon."

"It's was Weirdmageddon!" Ford's voice echoed from across the store.

"Strange sounding breeze we have in here... but anywho, they tried to thieve from me while my son was protecting what was ours. Granted he was doing it under duress, but regardless I want an apology from the both of them."

"Can it Gleeful, if they hadn't done that, they wouldn't of saved Mabel and then... and then what... what happened after that?" He felt his head ache as he tried to find the memory but it felt like he was scratching near a sore, and if he went any further he would tear open something painful. It seemed his face was looking ill as he felt the big man help him to one of the chairs for sale to sit down.

"Oh my... what is wrong?" He asked, the mocking tone dropped for the time being.

"I uh... lost my memory to save the day... I am not really meant to talk about it too much." He hated the chair, having such a fondness for the broken in one at home.

"You sacrificed your memory for the town... why doesn't more people know? We need to make you the town hero Stan." Bud was clearly seeing dollar signs in his vision as sales for his hunk of junk used cars with Stan posing for advertisement. It was tempting but he didn't need a big fuss to be made. He was a hero to his family... but he could picture the perks that being town hero could come with.

"It... keep it between us. Please?" He asked as nicely as he could, the P word felt dirty in his mouth but he used it nonetheless.

"Of course of course, I would never break such trust." Spoken like a true liar, but it was too late anyway. The rest of the Pines were coming to check on him and Bud did something surprising, tossing the record onto his lap. "A little token of gratitude, sir."

"Yeah... thanks Gleeful." He got up with a groan and held up his prize. "Who's ready to listen to mildly threatening music that scared my parents silly?!" He laughed maniacally.

"Don't you first have to pay, Stanley?" Ford asked slightly unsure.

"Of course... with a smoke bomb, ready to go kids?" He asked and got an excited yell in agreement as they set off the bomb and ran out to the car with their loot, ready to head back home. However as they drove up Gopher Road to the shack, Mabel was the one to lean in the front of the interior.

"What's on the house?!" She called out in shock as he hit the brakes, a lot more gentle than he had when Dipper was leaning forward, not on purpose really just better awareness. But even he was shocked at what she pointed at. There was a tear on the roof, not in the shingles, but on top of it a blue rip in what looked like reality was formed.

"Who wants to make a bet that there are more of these and that the news report earlier was talking about them?" Dipper said haughtily.

"Kid you are sounding like that Northwest girl, you been hanging out with her behind our backs?" He asked him and caught a glimpse of his face slightly blushing in the rear view mirror.

"No! I just was trying to make a point." Dipper said defensively.

"He does have a point... this is possibly left overs from the dimensional rift that caused Weirdmageddon." Ford mused as he got out of the car to look at the thing on the roof.

"Don't you mean Biz-Ar-..." Mabel started with her face pressed up against the window.

"NO! It relates to the weirdness of Gravity Falls so it is a Weirdmageddon!" Ford was the one sounding defensive now, looking and sounding a lot like an older Dipper.

"But in any case, we need to get it fixed. Maybe it can be another adventure for us. We can pack up and go exploring to seal them up tomorrow." Dipper suggested which seemed to put a pep in Ford's step.

"Brilliant idea, we should do some recon first before we try to seal them up. Come now Dipper, let's get going." Ford ordered cheerily and his nephew happily followed into the woods.

"Well looks like it is me and you for now kiddo." He turned to look at Mabel but she was gone as well it seemed. "Just old me again..." He sighed before a green monster face popped up from the back seat, making him scream out before realizing it was his old mask.

"Gotcha!" Mabel cheered herself on for her victory.

"Kid... you are going to give me heart failure..." He clutched his chest and got out of the car to head inside and put on some music to sit down and reminisce with. Mabel came in a little after and started to sing along to it, which made him smile. The other two returned later after having found several of the tears as well as a huge tear in the ground which Dipper had teasingly labeled 'Mabel's Fault', much to Mabel's chagrin. He was a little excited to go out and explore some things in the woods as a family. Tomorrow seemed like it was going to be a good day.


	6. Got A Lot Of Nerve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Spoilers for Gravity Falls: Lost Legends)
> 
> After a day spent traversing the multiverse looking for Mabel, Stan and Ford decide to take the night off and go back into town. There are questions still nagging in the back of Stan's mind and he knows no better person to help pick at them than his brother.

So his brother was a wanted criminal too, such a revelation made him feel a lot better about himself. Not that he took pleasure in the knowledge that goody-two-shoes Ford had a wicked streak in him, which he completely and totally did, but that his brother had survived his thirty year field trip not on sheer luck. He knew that he had been more than capable after having his ass kicked thoroughly by Ford once he came through the portal, though he would defend himself by saying he had been out of breath after running from the center of town out to the shack after fighting off an agent and some officers, ones that made the Sheriff and Deputy look like little kids. Soos was on kid watching duty, which meant that Dipper was on Soos and Mabel watching duty. The two brothers headed into the Skull Fracture for a bit of local color, as he enjoyed saying. Ford was a little on edge after having his ray gun taken by Tats the bouncer.

"It is very dangerous, and don't point it anyone." Ford reiterated for the fiftieth time.

"I know what to do, this is a biker bar." Tat's gravelly bass voice followed them as Stan pulled his brother in. They went up to the bar and sat down.

"Two of your 'top shelf-iest' bottom shelf stock." He ordered and nudged his brother. "I just found out he's an outlaw in space." The bartender must have been related to that Agent Powers guy, no humor.

"Stanley, I would ask that you don't go around telling people that... it could be bad for us." Ford said with concern that made him sound a lot like the kid who had helped him sneak sips out of their Pop's liquor cabinet.

"Relax Sixer, these people don't care about nothing. Besides it will give you street cred. All you need now is a tattoo." He laughed at his own joke.

"I actually do have a tattoo." Ford said indignantly before realizing what door he just opened.

Stan was shocked, he grabbed another person's drink and swigged it before spitting it out in surprise. "My own brother? What is it? Some kind of alien tramp stamp? Electro-barbed wire on your arm? An alien chick with three bo-"

"No, it is just a neck tattoo." Ford said embarrassed before he pulled down the red turtleneck he wore. He had to squint his eyes to see what it said.

"You're an all star?" He didn't get the joke. "What's it supposed to mean... Sixer, I think that somebody..." He was cut off as Mayor Cutebiker walked up to them.

"... once told me, that there was no way that Mr. Mystery was the same person as the one who had built that shack. And here we are, so Manly Dan informed me that we have another set of Pines twins. Well it is nice to meet you two. I also heard tell that the fancy triangle fella, well that it was you that done get 'em." He put his hand on Ford's shoulder before correcting himself and putting it on Stan's.

"Umm... no clue what you mean Mr. Mayor. I was unaware of such a rumor, and frankly find its existence preposterous." He looked to his brother and smiled to try and convey that he didn't let it slip. Ford didn't buy it entirely.

"It is correct that our family helped end the crisis, but honestly I do not think we should be broadcasting it so openly. We don't need outside forces coming in to tear up the town for its secrets." Ford urged quietly but forcefully, trying to not make a scene.

"Oh no doubt about it, I have a proposition in the works that will make sure we don't bother about that unpleasant couple of days where I was a statue..." He looked off in the distance a little unnervingly.

"Right, you two talk this out. I am going to use the bathroom." Stan got up and left things, he was getting a headache as they approached the subject of... Yellow eyes, high voices, the sensation of two people in one skull; no not people a person and a monster. He stumbled into the bathroom and splashed water in his face. "Come on Stan, you can handle a little talk about... About..."

"About Weirdmageddon?" A voice spoke up behind him which made him jump. But it was only Tad Strange. He let out a heavy sigh. "Sorry about that, I was just drying my hands one finger at a time, like you do. You know, I would normally not get involved with such things. I feel more at home in the background. Always have."

"Uhh... thanks Tad. What is your point?" He began to wonder about the plain and average man.

"I just think that you are getting a bit too carried away with acting like the world needs to be a particular way, that you have a role to fit. You do not have to remain static and unchanging. Ignore such things as negative continuity and embrace what makes you different." Tad spoke in his very cheerful and normal tone, but it gave the impression that something was seriously weird.

"Are you alright? You sound like you're having a bit of an identity crisis yourself." He tried to comfort the strange man, in what little way he could without just running off.

"Oh, I am in therapy after the events. Just trying to help out someone else. Thank you though, it is very thoughtful. Alright, time to go have a seltzer water and stale peanuts." Tad left and Stan was wondering what the hell just happened. He didn't feel better, but he didn't feel any worse. Which was something at least. He headed back out to the bar and Ford was looking at him with concern. As soon as he sat back down Ford put a hand on his back.

"Did you have another... episode?" His brother's voice showed a lot of concern but it didn't cover the entire breadth of what he was worried about.

"No, I just was thinking. How'd things go with the mayor?" He chuckled and took a drink, he smiled as his brother pulled a face after taking a sip too.

"He just sort of wants to brush everything under the rug, which isn't a bad idea. Not sure about his methods of accomplishing it... Stanley, do you want the recognition that people are offering?" Here was what Ford was scared of.

"What, thinking I am going to go mad with power and let my ego become a massive flaming balloon? Nah, I already been through that." He waved it off.

"What about a balloon?" Ford was confused.

"Nothing... I was thinking about that question you asked me earlier... what Dipper's real name was. It has been nagging at me... because I can't remember it. I was supposedly there when they were born but... I can't remember his name." He frowned and furrowed his brow. "There are just things in my head that you'd think I would remember. But no matter how much I chase them... nothing."

"I am sorry, I didn't mean to make you worry about all of that, his name is Mason. These things will come back, it has only been a few days. The progress you've made is incredible. I don't think I'd have gotten as far as you have. You have a knack for creating these strong bonds with people. I never was good at that. After you, the closest person I met was Fiddleford, but even him I had pushed away with my insane aspirations. You know, he had sat me down and handed me my thesis on everything I had studied. Told me that I had done enough and that if I kept pushing that it'd be my end. I should have listened to him. I should have listened to you when you tried to explain." Ford knocked back the rest of his drink.

"Sixer, your mistakes were necessary. You don't just get good at things, I know how damn smart you are and how easy it must have all seemed, but how many times did you fall off your bike before you could ride it? How many times did you smash your thumb with a hammer while building the boat? I failed up and down and all around the country before I found the thing I was best at, and it took me failing you thirty years ago to be able to figure out how stupid I was." Stan explained.

"You know... I never took the time to think about it but you repaired the portal. All on your own. With only one journal for most of the time. I don't think I could have done that. So you are very smart Stanley, thank you." Ford said sincerely, and did initiated the hug. Stan hugged back before turning to the rest of the bar.

"You got a lot of nerve to be staring like that!" He warned them before they all cheered.

"It's just so sweet seeing brothers make up!" One of the toughs explained.

"Yeah, having real heart to heart talks just make it all worth living." Another piped up.

"What a bunch of losers..." Ford joked under his breath which got Stan laughing.

"Yeah, but let's all have a drink. Put it on the Mayor's tab!" He roared as drinks went around.

The pair of them stumbled home after midnight to the shack. They opened the door to find Soos duct taped to the wall.

"Heya Mr. Pines and Mr. Pines. The kids were no trouble at all... but I really need to use the bathroom if you can cut me down please. I'd totally be in your debt." Soos said urgently while trying to sound calm.

"Ohh surrreee... I have a laser knife in my pocket." Ford slurred as he patted his trench coat. "Why do I need so many pockets? I need a fanny pack, they still sell them right?"

"Yeah, I think they do... at the mall... in the Pag..." Stan answered as he waddled over to the wall and just yanked Soos down with a bang.

"SHHHHHH! You'll wake the kids..." Ford warned as he pulled out a flashlight and pointed it at Soos. "Ahah... it worked... the mole man is on the floor. Great leap for mankind." He wandered to the spare room to pass out on his couch.

This left Stan pulling tape off of Soos. "Kid, I know I don't tell you this often but... you are a great handyman... and if you were my son... I'd be hispanic." Stan then sat down in his chair and fell asleep. Soos was touched nonetheless but hurried before he wet himself only to have trouble getting to his zipper through the tape. Stan was awoken when he heard a distant cry of help and turned on the TV to cover the noise before falling back asleep.


	7. Why Are You Running?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are looking up for Stanley Pines, he feels closer to his family and his memories of them are trickling back. However the good times cannot last forever as he finds out that he still has some skeletons buried in his closet.

He woke up with his tongue tasting and feeling like he had licked the floor of a bar, which for all he knew he might of. He had never had a chance to go out for drinks with his brother, and might of gone a little farther than they should have. He got up and went to make some coffee before he could function. He briefly considered taking a swig of the powerful concoction of Mabel Juice, but he didn't know how much it shortened the lifespan, and he did not want to test that out. After the second cup he felt a little better and decided to cook breakfast for the family. Drawn by the smell first was Dipper who seemed to be packing for home already given the size of those bags under his eyes.

"Rough night kid?" He asked as he poured him a glass of juice and set it in front of him.

"A little, I just... it is dumb..." He took a drink and his eyes opened a little more.

"If it is eating at you, better tell me now before your sister comes and I make her tickle it out of you." He warned jokingly but he was worried about his nephew.

"I can't talk with you about it, because it involves..." Dipper knowingly stopped short, but Stan got the picture. He put the frying pan off of the hot burner and sat down across from Dipper.

"Dipper, I trust you to shake me out of it if I get... fuzzy. Okay?" He knew their relationship wasn't the strongest but it was there and he would do anything for the kids.

"Okay." He spoke weakly and nodded before he found his voice. "When he was picking which one of us to... to kill. Before you stepped in... I was so scared but I wanted him to pick me. Just in the off chance you guys could save Mabel. It'd of destroyed her, but... like I said it is stupid." Dipper didn't meet his gaze.

"I... I know how you feel. For thirty years I wondered if things would have been better if I had gone through the portal. But... we deal with the hand dealt to us." He poured a fresh glass of juice. "And honestly I think you are way braver than I or Ford. Both of you kids. I don't know what I'd do if I lost either of you."

"We don't need to think about it, right? I mean it worked out and we are all here." Dipper got up and hugged him.

"Yeah, that's a good way to think about it. But you go and get your sister up, and I'll make a plate for you two to take to Ford. He's a real lightweight." He chuckled knowing that it'd go over Dipper's head, at least he hoped it did. He went to the pantry to look for a can of brown meat to make some hash for Ford when Waddles or something bumped the door shut. Normally it wouldn't have bothered him but when he tried the door it was stuck. He jiggled the handle and then put some force into it. That was when he heard the car start.

He laid in the trunk of the car, wrists and ankles bound leaving him hogtied. He felt concussed and felt the aluminum bat that did it with him in the darkness. He needed to get out of here. That was the long and short of it, but how? He headbutted the trunk lid but that only made his head ache worse. He remembered hearing something about kicking the taillight out. But he couldn't get his fat head to hit it right. So where did the leave him? He felt around with his cheek until he found a dip in the floor of the trunk. He pressed harder and something gave. The idiots had a rusted bottom from the snow storms and road salt. He headbutted until a big enough hole formed. Now all he had to do was get through the liner. He considered trying to pull it up before thinking "Ah screw it" and began to chew and bite at the liner, yanking and pulling. He felt some teeth break and had one get ripped out but he would buy dentures if he had to. He finally tore through it and saw the road speeding along. No way would he dive headfirst into that. However he waited until the car started to make stops, they were in a town somewhere. The smell of the hot exhaust was starting to come into the trunk and make him feel dizzy. However he waited until a light to get his head and shoulders wiggled through the hole he made. He heard them getting ready to gun it and forced himself to slip out, not caring about the cuts he got as they drove off without him. He laid there in the road just thankful to be alive. He managed to worm over to a sidewalk and spend half an hour in the cold winter night rubbing the rope against the edge of the concrete to free himself. After that he lumbered into the nearest 24 hour diner and fell asleep in the booth.

The smell of breakfast was heavy in the air when Stan finally got the door unstuck and he fell down, arms and legs feeling bloodless as if he had just gotten the tight bonds off. Mabel was there in a flash and helped him up into a chair. She looked scared and got ready to go get Ford. "Why are you running?" He finally asked her which got her to stop.

"Because you are not feeling good, and I am worried that you are... ya know... forgetting again." She had tears in her eyes but Stan shook his head.

"No pumpkin, just another vivid memory... sorry to get you scared. I am never going to forget such a cute face." He tried to reassure her but she was still not 100% convinced, astute girl.

"Well then... what my pig's name?" She said testing him.

"Waddles, the pain in my butt." He answered.

"Hmm... I don't know." Mabel spent the next five minutes quizzing him on different things he should remember, he got most of them right but he was a little fuzzy on things that he hadn't been a part of and only had hear say, like their supposed meeting with some kook who claimed he was president. Like they'd ever elect an absolute moron to the White House, though the more he thought about it, the more ridiculous that statement felt. He got Ford's plate made up and when Dipper came down they both took the brown slop to Ford, who from the sound of it needed all the help he could get.

Stan glanced at the pantry and thought about the things he had been through, he could not claim to have lived a boring life, but after everything it did not sound like it wouldn't be nice. However when the three other Pines came into the kitchen, he realized he had it pretty dang good.


	8. Don't Leave Me Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twin's final day in Gravity Falls is coming ever closer and Stan doesn't know what he will do once they are gone, so he decides to make a day of family bonding. However things never go the way they are planned.

Another day, another step closer to the end of summer. It seems so silly in the grand scheme of things to be sad that the kids need to go home and have their normal lives. He briefly understands Mabel's plight and what caused her to want to cling so desperately to the way things were. He thinks back to the summers of his youth; running around his podunk town getting into trouble and having fun. He hopes that they continue some trouble making back in Piedmont. He also began to think of a possible Christmas visit, though he did not know if his situation would allow for it. That'd be a fun conversation to have, like pulling teeth with rusty pliers. The kids have their birthday party to look forward to, but he wants one day more day with them. Just the three of them; was he being selfish not including Ford? He thought he might have been but at the same time he did not know if it was as painful for him. He could just ask him, but communication had never been his family's forte.

"Gaahhh!" He let out an exasperated sigh as he stopped stocking the shelves of the gift shop. Things were looking about ready to be opened up, though he was dragging his feet slightly. The number of times they had to fix this place up due to the weirdness of Gravity Falls, as well as their own roughness with the place, was getting a little out of hand. Parties, Gideon, Zombies, Agents, Portal shenanigans, and finally Wei-... _Stanley_

He did not know where that voice came from in his head but he did not like it one bit. He glanced at the vending machine, wanting to talk to Ford about it. But he didn't need Sixer to get all worked up. It was probably nothing... probably. He went up to the attic to check on the kids; finding them doing their own things with Dipper flipping through an empty journal with a pine tree on the front and Mabel knitting a sweater. Though when she saw him she gasped and hid the work she was doing.

"Grunkle Stan! I don't want you to be spoiled on the surprise... not that there is a surprise. And if there was, it would just be better if you don't know about it." She said before getting confused by her own logic.

"What's up Grunkle Stan?" Dipper however was curious to know if something was happening.

"OH well I just figured with summer nearly over, if you kids might uh... want to join an old man for some time out on the lake again. You know, for old time's sake." He said with a half smile.

"That sounds great, I'll see if Ford wants to come with, I have questions about what other things are in the lake." Dipper was up and past him in a flash before he could say anything.

"Oooh I will ask Candy and Grenda if they want to come along too!" Mabel rushed by, though she had the decency to give him a hug as she went.

"I was just... uh... wanting us three..." He said to the now empty room. He sighed and turned running into Soos who was standing right behind him. "Ahh! What are you doing that for?!" He took a step back.

"Oh I was just doing my handyman stuff when I heard you dudes were going to have like a party out on the lake. I wanted to let you know my boat is in loads better shape after the last time, and we can totally fit a ton of people on it." Soos meant well but boy he couldn't read a room.

"I just... fine we can bring a bunch of people. Not like it matters much." He descended the stairs and went to his room to sit down as Soos started to talk to some of the others about going to the lake. So much for his plan of enjoying his niece and nephew's company. He got ready and as he left he looked to see the group ready to go; Dipper, Mabel, Soos, Ford, Mabel's two friends, Wendy, and for some reason Toby Determined was there, still dressed like a freak. "Toby what are you doing in my house?"

"I just wanted to replicate having friends again." Toby explained in his nasally whine.

"Get out of my house, now." He reached for the Gideon smacking broom but the message was understood. They piled up in the Stanley mobile and Soos's truck to drive out to the lake. Once out there they met up with McGucket and his son who seemed to be coming along as well. Soos brought out the "S.S. Cool Dude 2", a name which Stan found ridiculous but noticed Ford looking at with a bit of interest. Once on board everyone partied up; Dipper and Ford were running tests and experiments with some occasional help from McGucket and Tate. Mabel had Grenda, Candy, and Wendy in a sort of reunion of the Unicorn hair hunting brigade with Soos as he was driving the boat. This meant that Stan was left on his own drinking some pitt and feeling adrift.

"Don't leave me alone..." He said to no one and wondered if that was what the future held. Everyone else enjoying one another's company while he was just stuck in the back. He tossed the empty can into the water and got his bait and tackle ready for when the boat stopped. Soos seemed to finally find a place that was suitable and they dropped anchor. Much to his surprise Ford came up and looked at the hook Stan was working on.

"I remember Dad trying to teach me how to thread the hook but I never could get the hang of it." His brother lamented. Mabel popped up wearing her fishing hat he had made her, same with Dipper trading out his normal cap.

"Grunkle Stan is really good, he can thread one with his eyes closed and with me singing at the top of my lungs." Mabel said proudly.

"Yeah speaking of which, the two of you still owe me five bucks each, don't think my amnesia made me forget that." He grinned as the others laughed. It turned out to not be a bad time, and perhaps it was still a family bonding day. The family just got a little bigger was all. He realized he was okay with that and knew he was never really alone.


	9. What I Seem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It has arrived, the 13th birthday of the kids. Stan is more than happy to see the turn out from the town. However it is also time to say his goodbyes and step into the unknown.

He got up feeling a lot better about what the day had in store for them. He had to work on getting some decorations up, he did not think it should be anything big today, as much as he wished for a big blowout event. He stood in front of his mirror and smiled at his reflection. "I remember our thirteenth birthday party. We snuck into that R rated movie and you got so grossed out." He paused as he didn't know who he was talking to. I remember that Stanley, but please wake up.

There was that voice again, he wondered where it was coming from. He just chalked it up to senility and got dressed. The prep work was more than easy, he just expected the bare minimum of guests. So it was a bit more than surprising when that little blond girl showed up at the door.

"Excuse me, I was wondering if I could get some help." She tried to suppress that snooty tone, with some success he had to give her credit for.

"This isn't a workforce agency kid, what do you need?" He asked as he leaned against the frame. She had a bag hanging from her shoulder.

"I need supplies to wrap these gifts... for Dipper and Mabel." Pacifica, that was her name; the Northwest heiress to be, asking for wrapping supplies. He shrugged and got her situated at the counter knowing the kids were still asleep for the time being. He also noticed her putting a heart above the I in Dipper's name. He smiled slightly and wondered if his nephew knew. He decided for once, as a birthday gift, to not torment him with it. The door was knocked on again and this time it was the little creep Gideon along with some of his hired muscle.

"Scram you little toad before I get the broom." He warned but Gideon held up his hands.

"Dear Stanley, I am not here to cause trouble. But I heard through the grapevine that there is going to be a bigger party, so I came to help set it up. Along with my friends. Say hello boys." Gideon preened.

"Hello Mr. Pines." They said genuinely cheerfully, which from the guy with the pale eyes just made it all the more creepy.

"Fine, but just stay outside. Don't need the whole town coming inside my shack." He said tempting fate, as basically the whole town showed up to make arrangements. It became impossible to hide their presence from the twins but the whole shebang went over brilliantly. He was going to be heading to the Arctic with his brother. Stanley you are almost there, just focus.

That voice was seriously starting to make him wonder what was going on. He focused on all the shocks and surprises during the party. Soos was the new Mr. Mystery, though after the initial changing of the hats, he wanted his fez back. He found himself sitting on the couch watching the party. Ford had drawn the circle with Bill in it again and with the help of Pacifica, it did turn out to be a pretty fun game of hop scotch. Afterwards they had a blind hat draw on duet teams for Karaoke, and no sort of fraud happened with his fez being used to draw names out of as somehow Dipper and the Northwest girl got paired up; the poor kid fumbled for the first minute but they got into singing the theme for _Specter-Crashers_. Ford seemed a little spooked as Cutebiker and Manly Dan sang that Vera Lynn tune, Meet Again or something. Bill wasn't that bad at piano actually.

Things seemed to be going by too fast, his goodbye to the twins was over in an instant and he was standing there watching their bus drive off to California. He knew he'd see them sooner than he realized but it was just not fair.

I know Stanley but we have to come back to the present. You can't keep lapsing into the past." Ford was standing in front of him. The smell of the sea overpowering his nose after the clean smell of the forest. He shook his head and looked down into the tea he had in his hands.

"Whoa... how long was I rambling for this time?" Stan asked, his trip through his memories was over. Aside from the leaving from the port and sailing north together.

"The better part of the day. I was worried. You still have some recovery left. Damn me for not asking Fiddleford more questions on the mechanics of the memory gun." Ford was beating himself still over his actions, no matter how necessary they were.

"Sixer calm down... it was actually kind of nice. Going through it all. You were there for me a lot more than I realized. Thank you." Stan gave his brother a one armed squeeze. "Now got any of the good stuff to make this tea actually drinkable?"

"Stanley, we are saving it for when we reach the Arctic. I want to share a drink at the top of the world with my best friend." Ford was putting his foot down.

Stan got on his feet and got his brother in a headlock "Well Stanford, I'd love to see you stop me. I may be an old crook, but you know I am stronger than what I seem." 

* * *

## The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for joining me on this ride. It all came flowing out a lot easier than I had expected. I don't know what I will try to write next, but I can't wait to share it with everyone.
> 
> With great admiration, yours truly  
> Bard
> 
> For those who'd enjoy a bit of a soundtrack to go along with this story, feel free to follow this link. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4ngCXmJot19YR7ykvlzMGO?si=kJoTsY1vQEOEoIERe69iLw


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